2015 NFL Draft Preview: The Early Bird Special

With many analysts dubbing the 2014 NFL draft class the deepest and most talented group that they’ve seen in at least a decade, it’s clear that the 2015 draft class is going to have a mighty tough precedent to live up to.

Since a record 98 underclassmen—including big-name stars such as JadeveonClowney, Johnny Manziel, Sammy Watkins and Teddy Bridgewater—chose to declare for the 2014 draft, college football has obviously taken a major talent hit. Luckily, though, the sport still has plenty of established impact players and plenty more up-and-coming talents that NFL scouts should be excited about.

Oregon QB Marcus Mariota, Baylor QB Bryce Petty, Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon, Texas A&M OT Cedric Ogbuehi, UCLA QB Brett Hundley and Nebraska DE Randy Gregory are just a few of the high-profile prospects who bypassed the chance to earn millions as high picks in the 2014 draft in order to return to school and continue honing their skills on the collegiate level.

They’ll be some of the must-watch prospects to keep an eye on this fall, but there will be plenty of other notable names to watch out for as well.

Admittedly, trying to rank and project draft prospects this early in the process is simply an impossible task. Every year, we always end up seeing a few unheralded prospects rise from relative obscurity and become household names, while we also see highly touted commodities fail to live up to their preseason hype.

At this time last year, who would have thought that Blake Bortles would be picked ahead of Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater? Or that Greg Robinson would be the top offensive tackle taken? Or that once overlooked prospects like Ja’Wuan James, Dee Ford, Marcus Smith, Deone Bucannon and Jimmie Ward would all end up being selected in the first round?

So much is bound to happen over the next 12 months that will change the complexion of the 2015 draft class. Still, it’s never too early to get a jump on evaluating and discerning the next wave of top prospects.

Here’s a very early, preliminary look at college football’s top prospects for the 2015 NFL draft.

The Top 10 Overall Prospects

1. Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

During his breakout Heisman award-winning debut campaign in 2013, Winston proved that he has all the physical tools to become the next bona fide elite star franchise quarterback prospect, the likes of which we haven’t seen since Andrew Luck left Stanford. Still, the 6’4’’, 228-pound redshirt sophomore must first show NFL evaluators that he can handle the pressure and attention that comes along with being college football’s most famous and scrutinized figure.

Winston is arguably the most naturally gifted player in all of college football, and he’s one of the most exciting playmakers that we’ve seen at the quarterback position in the last decade. But ultimately, his quest to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft will be determined by whether or not he can prove to scouts that he’s got the maturity and leadership ability to handle being the face of an NFL franchise.

2. Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska

Following in the footsteps of players like Tank Carradine, Jason Pierre-Paul, Bruce Irvin and Demarcus Lawrence, last fall Randy Gregory became the latest defensive end to emerge from the JUCO ranks and instantly become a terrorizing pass-rushing force at the FBS level. In his first season in Lincoln, the explosive edge-rusher quickly made a name for himself on the Big Ten scene, as he racked up 10.5 sacks, 19 tackles for loss and 18 quarterback hurries.

The 6’6’’, 245-pound junior possesses the type of natural athleticism and movement skills that scouts are already buzzing about. While he may still be raw in certain facets of his game and still be a bit inconsistent with his technique at times, Gregory clearly possesses the type of upside that’s comparable to Jadeveon Clowney and Ezekiel Ansah: the two top defensive ends from the previous two drafts. If he can handle facing more attention from opposing offensive lines and still produce at the same type of level he did in 2013, Gregory should ultimately emerge as a top-5 draft pick, just like Clowney and Ansah.

3. Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

Though the running back position has been downgraded and devalued in today’s pass-happy NFL, it’s still difficult to overlook a special rushing specimen like Todd Gurley. The 6’1’’, 232-pound junior shares many physical traits and an overall skill-set that’s comparable to Buffalo’s Fred Jackson. Like Jackson, not only does Gurley have the size, power and toughness to pound the ball inside the tackles on a consistent basis, he can also be a valuable weapon in the passing game, which he proved in 2013, when he totaled 37 catches, averaging 11.9 yards per reception.

The former freshman All-American was slowed by an ankle injury in 2013, yet he still managed to average six yards per carry and total 16 touchdowns. With QB Aaron Murray now gone, Gurley will be asked to put the Georgia offense on his back. Luckily, the powerfully built bull-like back has all the qualities to be a workhorse rusher. If Gurley can stay healthy and display the type of big-play ability he showed as a freshman, he has a great chance to become the first running back picked in the top 10 since 2012.

4. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

We’ve seen plenty of other recent highly touted “preseason star” Pac-12 quarterbacks such as Matt Leinart, Jake Locker and Matt Barkley fail to match their offseason hype during their final collegiate seasons. However, the same shouldn’t be expected of the league’s latest star signal-caller: Marcus Mariota.

The dynamic dual-threat playmaker not only combines tremendous prowess in the passing game with dangerous running ability, he also possesses the proper moxie-laden mindset needed to handle the spotlight. After putting together a terrific freshman campaign in 2012, Mariota continued to make strides this past season, as he proved that he can be successful without Chip Kelly designing offensive schemes for him. The 6’4’’, 211-pound junior averaged over nine yards per pass, rushed for over 700 yards and accounted for 40 total touchdowns, while pushing his overall record as a starter to 23-3. Mariota possesses the skill-set to develop into a versatile Colin Kaepernick-esque offensive weapon in the NFL.

5. Leonard Williams, DE, USC

Pat Haden is one of the many onlookers who has been incredibly impressed by Leonard Williams. The USC AD has already called Williams one of the five best Trojan players he’s ever seen, which is high praise coming from someone who’s been around the program for over 40 years and has seen an abundance of elite talent come through campus. Williams deserves plenty of accolades based off his first two seasons, in which he’s totaled 27 tackles for loss and 14 sacks.

The 6’6’’, 290-pound junior has been a havoc-wreaking monster in the trenches, displaying an impressive blend of power, quickness and tenacity. Williams is versatile enough to fit into a variety of different roles and schemes in the NFL, and his ability to play in either a 3-4 or a 4-3 front should only further enhance his already soaring stock.

After producing 16 first-round draft picks in the decade spanning the 2003 draft to the 2012 draft, the Trojans have failed to land a player in the first round in either of the past two drafts. Williams appears ready to end that drought in 2015, though, as he looks destined to be one of the top defensive difference-makers in the 2015 class.

6. Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M

After spending most of his collegiate career being overshadowed by his former highly touted teammates Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews, Cedric Ogbuehi will finally get his chance this fall to prove that he’s also a top-flight tackle prospect.

While he may not be as fundamentally sound as either Joeckel or Matthews at this point in his development, Ogbuehi is noticeably more physically gifted than either of them. The highly athletic 6’5’’, 300-pound senior is the type of rare “physical freak” that you simply don’t see at the tackle position very often.

Though Ogbuehi reportedly received a first-round grade from the NFL draft advisory board and could have potentially been a top-20 pick in the 2014 draft, his decision to return to College Station for one more season will likely turn out to be the right choice. He’ll now have the chance to show scouts that he’s capable of flourishing at the all-important left tackle position in 2014.

7. Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State

”Dominant” is really the only word you need to describe Shilique Calhoun’s eye-opening 2013 campaign. After barely registering a blip on the radar as a backup during his freshman year, Calhoun certainly made his presence felt during his first season as a starter this past fall. The 6’4’’, 257-pound edge-rusher emerged as one of the top impact defenders in the country, registering 7.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, 18 quarterback hurries and scoring three touchdowns. It was a performance that earned him the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year award, numerous All-American honors as well as the respect of the conference’s offensive tackles.

Calhoun is by no means a finished product. Just like every young college defensive lineman, he has plenty of room to get stronger and he still has to work on developing a more well-rounded pass-rushing repertoire. Still, the former 3-star recruit from New Jersey displayed plenty of intriguing flashes of potential in 2013. The instinctive and explosive end is on track to develop into one of the top defensive prospects in the 2015 draft class.

8. Cameron Erving, OT, Florida State

After starting off his collegiate career at defensive tackle in 2011, it would have been understandable if Cameron Erving took some time to get acclimated to switching to the offensive side of the ball. However, Erving’s switch to offensive tackle in 2012 proved to be a seamless transition, as he looked right at home at his new position. After putting together an outstanding showing during his first season as a starter, the extremely athletic 6’6’’, 302-pound senior took his game to another level in 2013, earning All-American honors and the ACC Offensive Lineman of the Year award for his performance.

After bypassing the chance to potentially be a first-round pick in the 2014 draft, Erving now has his sights set on being a top-15 selection in 2015. He’ll once again be the leader and the face of a Seminole offensive line that should be the best front-five in college football.

9. Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa

During Kirk Ferentz’s 16 years as head coach at Iowa, the Hawkeyes have had 13 offensive linemen selected in the NFL draft, including three first-round picks. Ferentz, a former NFL offensive line coach, clearly knows how to properly prepare his lineman for the next level. Brandon Scherff is the latest lineman who Ferentz is grooming for the pros. The 6’5’’, 315-pound senior possesses the type of size, toughness and fundamentally-sound technique that you’d expect from a Hawkeye blocker.

After suffering a season-ending injury midway through the 2012 season, Scherff returned to the lineup in 2013 and reasserted his dominance, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors for his performance. He’ll enter the upcoming season as one of top-rated tackle prospects in the 2015 NFL draft class. Not only does he have a chance to be the next Hawkeye lineman to crack the first round, he could very well end up being a top-10 overall pick when all is said and done.

10. Benardrick McKinney, LB, Mississippi State

It wasn’t all that long ago that Benardrick McKinney was a lightly sought-after 2-star recruit during his days at Rosa Fort High School in Tunica, Mississippi. After seeing what McKinney’s had to offer on the field over the past two seasons, however, there’s no doubt that many of the prominent power programs are regretting overlooking the gifted young linebacker. During the past two seasons, McKinney has shown that not only can he handle SEC competition; he can dominate against it, as he’s totaled 172 tackles, including 87 solo stops.

The 6’5’’, 235-pound junior is a unique size-speed prospect who has shown that he can produce at a high level against the best competition that college football has to offer. The SEC has produced five first-round linebackers in the past five years. Now it looks like McKinney is destined to be the league’s next great linebacking export. After deciding to stay in Starkville for another season, the long, athletic outside ‘backer will now be looking to solidify his status as the top overall linebacker in college football in 2014. You can bet that plenty of NFL scouts will be paying visits to the Cowbell capital of college football this season to see what McKinney has to offer.